RISING WOMAN 2025: Felister Sabuni: Leading audit at CRDB with passion and purpose

Dar es Salaam. In the journey towards success, every woman must recognise that the path is often challenging and requires sacrifices. Yet, with determination, anything is possible.

This belief has guided the head of audit at CRDB Bank, Felister Saabuni, to rise through the ranks and take on a leadership role overseeing audit operations at the bank’s head office, branches, and subsidiaries.

Her work ensures effective risk management, good governance, regulatory compliance, and the strategic enhancement of audit processes.

Felister’s journey has been one of resilience and commitment.

She started her career as a customer service officer at her ex-company and, through hard work and passion, transitioned into internal auditing, eventually leading her to her current position.

Felister recalls applying for an internal audit job without a deep understanding of the field but embraced the challenge through continuous learning and mentorship.

“So altitude is about everything; actually, that’s what moved me from customer service officer to internal auditor. And now I’m the head of internal audit.”

Felister’s guiding principle has always been dedication and self-motivation.

“Hard work, determination, and passion in whatever you do—you don’t actually do a job because your supervisor will look at you. You do your job even when nobody is looking at you,” she shares.

In her career, she has faced challenges that come with being in a professional space as a woman.

Felister acknowledges that sometimes, these challenges are influenced by the environment itself, but she believes in leveraging obstacles as stepping stones rather than allowing them to become barriers.

“So I’m talking about challenges within a woman’s space. Sometimes it comes with a double edge, but also, I know the environment can lead to some of the challenges. Because if you dwell on obstacles instead of finding a way of leveraging those obstacles, it becomes an edge for you to move on, and then you find yourself on a road a bit down,” she shares.

Felister’s success has been shaped by the people who mentored and guided her along the way.

She values the role of coaches and mentors in her growth, emphasising the importance of receiving constructive feedback and continuously improving.

“Through my journey, I have had people who volunteered to be my coach. I have people watching and looking at what I’m doing and providing feedback. For example, if there’s a meeting, discussion, or presentation, they will come and tell me, ‘There are things today—one, two, and three—you did well, but you need to work on this and improve.

“That keeps me on my toes, knowing where I’m doing well and what I need to improve. I also have mentors, probably two or three, with whom I sit and discuss when I have questions or need guidance,” she elaborates.

As a leader, Felister believes in an engaged leadership style, working side by side with her team to ensure objectives are met.

She believes that to be a leader, you don’t need to have a single leadership style because you’re dealing with different types of people.

“I like to see people perform, I like to see things moving. But then, I’m not the leader who sits and waits for things to happen. I want to be part of the team, making sure we attain whatever is on our table to deliver,” she shares.

Felister further adds that engagement leadership it’s important because it’s give you a chance to work side by side with you team.

“it’s easier to guide and help and ensure the required end result is really attained. People copy more of what we do than what we say, so setting an example is very key,” she explains.

When it’s comes to success, Felister believes that anyone with the right focus and determination can achieve success.

“It’s possible. If I’ve done it, then anyone else can do it and attain the same position or even higher. But the only thing is focus—you need to know what you want,” she explains.

Felister further added that, focus, determination, and hard work, if put together it’s become possible.

“It’s not an easy journey, there are sacrifices, but it’s possible. And you need to create your support system, whether it’s your relatives, your friends, or your family. Because when you are running with these other particular things, you can be able to focus and deliver,” she shares.

In building capacity within her team, she emphasizes the importance of honest and constructive feedback to help others grow.

“On capacity building, feedback is very important to the team and it has to be honest feedback. You need to help them understand where they are failing so they can grow.”

To aspiring young women looking to build successful careers, she has one key piece of advice—start now.

“It’s not too late. Whatever time you have taken to be where you are, you need to start on that particular thing that you have and invest in that particular area to reach that level. It’s possible—all you need is to start and bring passion into it,”

Felister’s story is one of resilience and ambition, a testament to the power of hard work and self-belief.

In a world where women continue to break barriers, she stands as an inspiration, proving that no dream is out of reach if pursued with dedication and perseverance.

Supported by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation